


Teacher’s pet

by Zoya113



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Dad figure hidgens, F/M, Fluff, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 07:10:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20720174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya113/pseuds/Zoya113
Summary: Emma encounters a boy in her class who doesn’t know what to do when he gets angry except take it out on others.Fortunately Emma’s been in the same place, Unfortunately, Emma’s still sort of there.





	Teacher’s pet

“You’re home early, D’you have a good day?” Paul slowly stood up from the couch, stretching out his arms to offer her a hug. 

“Shove it, Matthews,” Emma stormed past him, dumping her bag in the hallway and stomping to the bedroom. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He picked up her bag to hang it up properly on the hook. 

“Nothing’s wrong!”

“Just angry?” He leant in on the doorway, trying to find Emma in the dark with his eyes.

“I’m literally fine, piss off man.” Her voice came from somewhere tangled in the blankets. 

Paul frowned, hovering in the doorway for a second. “Everything’s fine?” 

“It literally is, I just said so.”

“Okay, if you’re so fine then do you mind asking why you’re home from school early?” 

Emma growled. “Hidgens let me. Okay? Nothing’s wrong I just got home early and I’m tired and I have a headache.” 

“Oh you’re sick? Em, hold on,” he loitered a second longer because on second thought it didn’t seem safe to get anywhere near her. “I’ll bring you some medicine.”

She didn’t argue, so he took it as a yes.   
He pulled the first aid kit down and put a tablet into a glass of water for her but as he waited for it to dissolve he took out his phone to call Hidgens. 

“Hey,” he started anxiously. 

“Oh! Hello young man, did Emma make it home safely?” 

“Yeah, why do you say that?” 

“We sent her home because she wasn’t well but she said she would walk and that she didn’t need anyone to drive her,” Hidgens’ voice twisted with concern. “Is she well?”

“She says she feels sick but it’s like,” he hopped up on the counter to swing his legs. “I think somethings wrong. She’s really mad.”

“Ah,” Hidgens cooed. “Yes, she was mad at me too.” 

“Well, Hidgens I think-“

“Hidgens!?” Emma’s angry footsteps made her presence known. “What are you doing talking to him?” She hissed, lowering her voice. “Why are you talking to him?” 

Paul took the phone away from his mouth. “Uhh, I just wanted to know what was wrong.” His eyes trailed up her form. She had a collection of bruises on her skin.

“I told you nothing was wrong!” 

“Hidgens wants to talk to you,” he gestured to the phone.

“I’m sick, I don’t want to talk! Get off the phone, man.” She turned on her heel to stalk back to her bedroom as if she couldn’t possibly be out in the light for any longer. 

“I’ll call you back once she’s asleep, Paul,” Hidgens murmured. 

“Mhm. Bye, Professor.”

———————————————————

“You can go to sleep now if you want, I just have to get some work done okay?” He whispered to her, brushing his thumb over her jaw. “Are you feeling okay?” 

“No, I think I’m sick. I can’t go to school tomorrow. I have the worst headache and my leg hurts and I’m so tired,” she cuddled herself up into his lap. 

“Well you go to sleep and I’ll join you in a sec okay? I have a few emails to send.” 

Emma gripped onto his thigh tighter. “No, stay here with me,” she pleaded. 

“I’ll only be a second, babe. Just a little bit of business to do. I’ll be with you in just a moment.” 

“Can’t you bring your laptop in here?” She delivered a soft punch to his side. 

He chuckled. “I’ll see you in a moment, Em. Hold on.” He eased Emma off his lap and she grunted but didn’t complain.   
He waited quietly on the couch for ten minutes, surely if Emma was as sick as she said she was she would be asleep by now, and that was when he rang Hidgens. 

“She’s asleep already?” Hidgens sounded impressed. “Why, I thought I’d have to wait all night!” 

“No, I think she’s out already. She’s been lying in bed since she got home. What do you think is wrong?” 

Hidgens paused to think. “Well it’s nothing I’ve ever heard of. What’s she like?” 

“She said she has a headache and feels tired and her leg hurts. She said she can’t go to class tomorrow.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “Oh good god young man! Well that’s all I had to hear!”

“What?” 

“Do me a favour and make sure she comes to class tomorrow. I know exactly what’s wrong.”

———————————————————

Emma was pissed. She was an adult, she should of had complete control over her life but Paul made her go to class this morning. She told him she was sick and he still made her go. 

She planned to wait for Paul to drive off to work before heading home herself but Hidgens caught her by the doors. 

“Emma! Lovely to see you! Are you feeling better than yesterday?”

“No. I’m still sick,” she turned her shoulder to him, crossing her arms. 

“Well that’s a shame. Sick with what?” He put a hand on her shoulder to turn her to face him.

“What? Don’t you believe me?” She scoffed weakly. “I’m just sick man, I don’t know. I have a headache and stuff.” 

He ushered her to walk with him. “Come with me then, I’ve got some medicine in my office. You’ll feel better afterwards.” 

“Ahaha, no,” she stepped out of his hold. “No I don’t need to go to your office. I’ll just see you in class,” she shrugged her shoulders to readjust her back pack before power walking off.  
Now that he knew she had come there was no going home.  
He knew her too well, he would notice soon that something was wrong. 

As students began to pour into the lab she hesitated by the door, waiting for Hidgens to start talking to race in and find her seat. 

He waved at her as she entered but she darted to her seat without making eye contact. 

She barely paid attention to the lecture, and when it was over her plan was to head straight home but Hidgens’ snagged the back of her backpack as she had tried to run out the door.   
“The doctor says you shouldn’t be running on that leg, Emma.” 

“You‘re the doctor, the doctor is you, Professor. It doesn’t matter too much, I’m getting better.”

He let go of her backpack as the lab emptied out. “I think it’s time for a check up. Come on. My office.” 

“I was actually heading home, Professor. Can we do this another time?” She shifted her weight from foot to foot. 

“No. It’s time now. We’re overdue. When was your last one? Seven weeks? Come with me dear.” He lead the way and Emma hovered anxiously behind. 

“I’m kind of busy, Professor,” she repeated. “And I’m not well. I’ve got to go home.” 

“You’re changing your stories, Miss Perkins,” he mentioned in a warning tone that best advised her to keep her mouth shut until they were behind the closed door of his office. 

“My dear,” he shut the door and took his seat. “Sit down on the table. We’ll have a quick check up. It’ll be good for you if you’re so sick.”

“I know this isn’t a check up, Hidgens. I know this is a talk.” Her shoulders slumped. 

“Glad we could skip straight to it. Emma, who is it?” 

Emma’s face scrunched up. “No one.”   
“Hah,” his laugh trailed off in an attempt to cover it. “I’ve known you for a while and I’ve been a professor even longer. I know that you’re being bullied.” 

She erupted with laughter at that point. “Oh! Don’t call it bullying! I’m not a child, I’m an adult.”

“Who is it, Emma?” 

“Oh,” she backed up against the door. “I’m not being bullied Hidgens. It’s just some stupid kid. It’s not even anything. I’ve already handled it. Just this young kid, I dealt with it. He really isn’t a problem just someone being stupid.” 

“You’re running your mouth. I’ll find out if it’s serious you know,” he gave her a stern look as she reached for the doorknob. “I’m not going to let you get hurt.”

“I know. But it’s all fine. Thanks professor.”  
She exhaled loudly as she escaped from his office. She would be home free now as long as- never mind, there he stood. 

“Oooh!” The boy - well he wasn’t quite a boy. He was younger than Emma for sure, but definitely taller - stood in the hallway. He cooed at just the sight of her. “Hey!” 

“Fuck off,” she spat, picking up her pace and raising her shoulders as if to shield her head.

“Why’re you going so fast! Off to do the homework or something?”

She snorted. “You’re just pissed because you’re failing community college, bro.” 

“I’m not failing!” He crosses the hall towards her in a few long strides, grabbing her collar and slamming her back up against the wall. 

His rapid movement had her lose her balance and she would have tripped if he wasn’t holding her collar. 

“You’re just a try hard, has anyone ever told you that? You’re such a suck up to the Professor. Have you always been such a know it all or are you compensating for something?”

Emma adjusted her neck so she could breathe. “The only person who’s ever told me that is you, I’m nearly flattered man.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re just jealous.”

“Jealous of what?” She snarled. 

“Oh I don’t know, the fact that I still get out. I have friends and I go to parties. Where are you off to now? To go study? To go to work? You’re a loser.” 

Emma grabbed his elbow and pushed him off her. “God, yeah. Me. I’m the loser. Way to go man. I don’t know what your problem is but you need to leave me alone.” 

He shoved her back and she held up her arm in defence. “You aren’t gonna fight back?” He taunted. “Hit me, do it,” he shoved her again. 

Emma widened her stance so he couldn’t push her over. “I have better things to do than fuck around with you dude. Back off. You’re lucky I don’t want to fight you.” 

He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her again. “I’m not letting you leave until you fight me. You’re not going to are you? You’re not going to even touch me. I know it.” He threw a punch this time, smacking into her back as she tried to walk away. “Coward!”

Emma laughed, it was high pitched and thin and frustrated. “Oh, I’m about to fucking snap! I’m not fighting you man.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and turned her back to him, marching off.   
All she wanted to do was go home and get away from this guy. 

“Hey! Don’t run! You fucking pussy!” He stuck out his leg and she stumbled over it, she stuck out her palms to catch her fall and stayed defeated on the floor for a moment, glaring up at him.   
She had developed enough bruises from his relentless antics the past week.   
It was stupid actually, she had corrected him on a mistake he had made in a prac, a girl had laughed at him and now it was his life goal to make her’s miserable. 

“Get up! Come on!” He jumped once impatiently. “Come on, come on!” 

Emma saw a little bit of herself in him. This kid had bigger things to be mad about, but he had no clue how to express that anger than on Emma herself. He had to burn that energy somehow. 

“Man, just leave me alone.” She eased herself up, pressing her palm to her bad thigh. “What do you want with me?” 

“You’re a pet, do you know that? You’re the teacher’s pet. And you’re always at his office and talking with him and that’s why you’ve got good grades, because you’re a suck up.” 

“We get it, dude. I get along with the Professor. Okay? Yeah, I admit it. I’m a bit of a suck up. Does that please you? Can I leave now?” She held her arms out. 

He shook his head, raising his fists. “Not until you hit me! Just hit me man!” 

Emma shook her head, lowering her hands to show she was peaceful. “Go for a run if you need to get out energy man. I’m not having a boxing match with you.”

“Because you’re a coward, you wanna follow the rules.” He took in a deep breath and cracked an anxious smile, even he knew he was testing her now. “You’re just a teacher’s pet because your parents don’t love you!” He declared. 

Emma’s eyes widened and she couldn’t seem to find her breath. “Oh!” She gasped, her hands starting to twitch. “Oh that’s it? That’s your conclusion? That’s below the fucking belt man.” She could feel her breath hitching and her lungs couldn’t keep up with her heart beat. 

“Yeah!” He nodded, his voice not as firm. “Yeah, because your parents don’t love you! So you’re making up for it by sucking up to him!”

She almost knew for a fact that he was projecting, but he was crossing a line.  
“Oh fuck off! That’s it!” She wrestled her backpack off and dumped it on the floor before swiftly swinging her fist at him.   
Her knuckles connected with his jaw with a satisfying smack that sent him to the ground.

“Hey!”

“You don’t ever fuck with me okay? I’ve kept quiet about all the shit you’ve been putting me through so you don’t get in trouble. You’re gonna get hell if Hidgens finds out you’ve been giving me so much shit. But you asked for it man, you asked for it so you should be able to take it!You’re an adult and you’re tough and if you can pick on me you can handle the fucking consequences!”

“What’s happening out here!?”

Emma let out a groan, too ashamed to even lower her reared fist. “It’s- it’s just- Sorry Hidgens.”

Hidgens hurried down the hall to help the boy to his feet before separating the two of them. 

“Oh I-“ he sighed. “Come to my office, the both of you.”

Emma let her anger die out. She was going to get in trouble regardless, she had taken it too far. 

“Emma wait outside please, I’ll talk with you first,” he pointed at the blond boy in question. 

She slumped down against the wall outside his office. He was right about her leg, she shouldn’t have been on it because now it was really punishing her.   
She quite frankly deserved it anyways, she knew she shouldn’t have punched that boy. He had to be at least 5 or 6 years younger than her anyways, he was practically a child. 

She tried to listen in to their conversation but the both of them had such deep voices that she couldn’t make out the words.

She rubbed her knuckles as she fiddled with her phone. She should probably tell Paul what happened. 

But then she’d have to explain everything to Paul and then he’d probably come done and beat that guy senseless himself. 

‘Sorry for yelling at you last night’ she decided to send, it was neutral enough and he would get the whole story later. 

The door finally opened and the boy was sent out. He didn’t look her in the eye but hurried on his way with his hand clenched to his jaw. 

“Emma,” he called her name like she was a patient in a waiting room and she sheepishly showed herself in.   
“Hi, Professor.” 

“Did you punch him?” 

“Yes, Professor.”

“Why?” 

Emma shrugged. “He was being annoying.” 

“So you hit him?” 

“He was hitting me! He was literally asking for me to swing back,” she pointed out. 

“I’m assuming he’s the boy bullying you?”   
She nodded. “He just says stupid stuff. It’s not important.” 

“Important enough to punch him,” Hidgens pointed out. “What did he say to you?” 

Emma rolled her eyes. “Something dumb. Something like ‘I do my work because my parents didn’t love me.’ It didn’t make sense. ‘I’m a teachers pet’ sort of junk.”

Hidgens took in one deep breath and held it in his lungs. “You know, there aren’t many circumstances where I can say this, but I am relieved you punched that student in the face.” 

“Wait, I’m sorry, you’re what?” 

“I’m glad you can stand up for yourself. It’s a comfort to know you can take care of these things,” he lowered his voice. “He comes from a bad background. Lots of fighting at home I believe. He’s had a few fights with other students. I’ve met his parents briefly, it’s all one big blame game. I’m glad, I think you might’ve taught him that violence won’t work for him.” 

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re adopting him too though right?” 

Hidgens chuckled. “No, I’m not Emma. Listen, I’m going to let you off with a warning. I know there’s conflict there, but I’m not going to be so lenient if you do that again. Do you promise me you’ll behave?” 

Emma nodded, biting her lip. “I won’t punch anyone else. Promise.” 

“Good. That’s all I had to hear, my dear.”

———————————————————  
Paul was quick to her side when she got home that day, he hesitated to check her body language before giving her a hug.   
“Okay day at school?”

Emma nodded. “Not half bad I suppose.” 

“Did everything get sorted out?” 

Emma blinked innocently. “Everything? What do you mean?” 

Paul snorted, raising one eyebrow hopefully. Maybe there hadn’t been any bullying at all. “Hidgens mentioned you uh,” he rubbed his neck bashfully. 

“So the news spreads fast huh? I beat a kid up.” She sat down on the couch nonchalantly.

“You what?”

“He beat me up first!”

“He what!?” 

Emma snickered, rubbing her bruised elbows. “Yeah. He’s been coming for me all week because I embarrassed him in front of a girl,” she admitted. “And that’s the story.” 

Paul hung his head to rub his brow. “Wow. I don’t know how to deal with this, babe.” 

Emma flexed her fingers out and examined her palms and her knuckles with an impressed smile. “I won’t, but I’m like, mega-strong. I’m ripped. I knocked that kid over.” 

Instinctively, Paul took a step back an Emma grinned wildly when she noticed. 

“That’s right, I break rules! I’m not a coward at all!” 

“I never considered you to be one,” he held his hands out defensively. “You’re one of the bravest people I know, Em.” 

She stuck her thumb to her chest. “Yeah! I don’t stand for anyone’s bullshit!”

Paul eventually closed the distance he had created with a tight, proud hug. “You aren’t letting him get under your skin anymore are you babe?” 

“Absolutely not!” She kicked her legs up on the coffee table. “But um,” she lowered her voice and pressed herself into Paul’s side, playing with his tie. “I hope that kid is okay.” 

“Yeah?” He tucked her head under his chin. “Why’s that?” 

“He’s just a kid. He doesn’t know what to do with his anger and he’s confused but he’s toughing it out. You can see it in his eyes, I can tell.” 

“Oh!” Paul sounded pleasantly surprised. “That’s very mature,” he praised. “So, he’s just like you were growing up?”

“Hah, that’s not what I said!” She elbowed him, but was quick to notice how her actions betrayed her words. “Well, I guess it is what I said a bit. We would’ve been pretty similar. But I figured it out eventually.” She pushed herself up against Paul’s chest to avoid looking him in the eye. “So you know, if he can’t seem to get the hang of things when we grows up, I’ll give him a hand myself.” 

“Wow, really?” He asked.

She nodded. “I’ve got to make up for all those years of bullying other kids   
somehow, you know?” 

Paul stroked a hand through her hair, planting a kiss on top of her head. “Well I think that’s pretty great of you Em.


End file.
